"Have you heard about the accident in Aotomi Park? Apparently, there was an attack," one girl mentioned casually as she waited for her friend to finish packing her belongings.
"Seriously? What happened?" her friend asked, leaning in with interest. Her bag was open and her belongings forgotten as she became more interested in the gossip being told.
"Well, rumors say that the victim saw something huge and terrifying—like a wolf—during the attack," she explained.
"A wild wolf, in the city? That sounds scary! I might avoid late nights out," the second girl responded, visibly concerned.
"Don't be ridiculous; do you really think we have wild forests or zoos in the middle of the city? Rumor has it, it was a ghost," the first girl scoffed.
"No way, really? That's ridiculous. Haru-chan, what do you think about this?" she asked, turning to the smaller girl who suddenly looked shocked, as she didn't expect to be included in the conversation, her book halfway through as she tried to stuff it into her bag.
"I-I-I'm not sure... I'm not that interested," the girl, Haru-chan, murmured, fiddling with her waist-length, braided dark purple hair. Her violet eyes darted around the room nervously as she seemed not to want to continue with the conversation.
"Ah, I see..." The two girls exchanged an awkward glance before one whispered, "You shouldn't have asked her." The other girl offered a nervous grin and quickly apologized.
"Sorry, sorry. But there's no harm in joining the conversation, right?" she said, looking towards Harusaki, who hastily packed her belongings into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. The two girls watched her leave the classroom without any words, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor.
"Geez, what a weirdo... I just asked something to be nice..." The girl let out an annoyed huff, clearly not liking the fact she got ignored by Harusaki. "That's what you get for asking the loser nerd a question~" The second girl laughed mockingly.
Harusaki, who was standing outside the door, clenched her bag strap tightly before she started walking away, pushing her rounded glasses back into place.
'My name is Sakaki Harusaki, a 17-year-old student who people call a loner...'
As Haru walked down the deserted road, she couldn't help but nervously survey her surroundings. The streets were bustling with people; some engaged in lively conversations with friends, others absorbed in their own world, and a few eerily still, not moving at all, their lifeless eyes staring vacantly, their skin an unnatural shade of pale. As Haru passed by, their heads turned to follow her, their empty gazes locked on her. She hastened her steps, eager to escape their unsettling attention, and turned onto the quieter residential streets.
'I have a big secret.'
A chill ran down her spine, and she cast a wary glance over her shoulder. There it was—a spider-like spirit trailing her, its multitude of crimson eyes piercing through her, its many legs skittering across walls and pavement as it pursued her. With each of its hundred fangs dripping a strange liquid, the creature quickened its pace. Haru's face drained of color as she quickly picked up her pace, desperate to distance herself from the ghastly entity.
'I can see ghosts.'
Haru gasped when she suddenly tripped over something, causing her to fall on the road, groaning in pain from the hard impact with the ground. Slightly lifting herself, she checked what had tripped her and what she saw made her let out a shriek. The spider that had been following her was now clinging to her left calf. With a shiver of disgust, the girl smacked it away using her school bag. She watched the spider hit the ground, laying on its back, its legs kicking around as it tried to turn back over.
"Shrieeeekk!!!!"
Haru flinched at the spider's shrieking, her violet eyes widening as she saw a circle of spider spirits circling around her. She sprang to her feet and fled as quickly as she could, terrified of what the spiders might do if she stayed.
'What happened? They've never attacked me before!' she screamed internally.
Turning around a corner, Harusaki halted before a black wall that blocked her path. Realizing she was trapped between the spiders and the wall, she started to panic. Backing away, she flinched when her back hit the gate of a house. Looking over her shoulder, she didn't even think of the consequences as she hastily tried to open it. When the gate seemed to be unlocked, Haru sighed in relief before flinging the gate open and dashing inside.
Turning around, Haru gasped when the gate slammed shut as soon as she entered. What made her jump away was when one ghost suddenly hurled itself at the gate, its blood-red eyes glaring at her from behind its long dark hair. Feeling uneasy and scared, Haru slowly backed away from the gate and fumbled with the house door. To Haru's relief and confusion, the door was unlocked with only a bit of hesitation. She pushed the door open, looking back over her shoulder. The way that ghost stared at her was enough to force herself to step inside the house and slam the door shut behind her.
Peeking through the peephole, Haru noticed the ghost still hovering in front of the gate, as if it were determined to prevent her from leaving the house. "What happened? Why did they suddenly get aggressive?" she whined, softly banging her head against the door.
'It all started when I was 5 years old. I was at my grandpa's funeral.'
Young Harusaki looked at her parents with a confused expression as they all cried, wearing black clothes and kneeling in front of the coffin where her grandpa lay still, dressed in all white. She looked to her left side and asked out loud, "Why is everyone crying over you, grandpa? Why is your body there?" She raised her hand to point at the corpse.
This caused her mother to look at her with a horrified expression. "W-what are you saying, Haru? Grandpa Ryu is gone, honey..." she choked out between her sobs.
The small girl furrowed her brows in confusion as she looked back at where her grandpa stood, beside her and staring at the crowd with a small sad smile on his face. The ghostly old man crouched down and reached out toward Haru. A shiver ran down her spine at the coldness of her grandpa, but she didn't pull away. She watched her grandpa say something, but she couldn't understand it. All she heard were the cries around her.
Haru blinked when she felt her mother's arms wrapped around her, pulling her small body close. When she looked at her grandpa, he was no longer there.
Starting from that day, she began to see ghosts. She tried to tell everyone what she could see, but no one ever believed her. She was labeled as a liar and weirdo all through her elementary school, so she stopped trying in middle school and distanced herself from everyone.
'I never told anyone about my curse.'
She let out a sigh at her memories. Turning around, she looked around the room before she tensed up at the realization that she was trespassing into someone else's house. Pushing herself away from the door, Haru began to wander around the house, calling out for the owner to apologize, but she never got an answer. She then stumbled across a door on the floor, perhaps leading down to the basement. Kneeling down, she knocked on the door a few times. When she heard nothing, she was about to get up and move away when she heard muffled sounds coming from behind the door. Straining her ears, she heard a muffled groan and rustling; it sounded almost like someone struggling against something.
With slight panic, Haru quickly and forcefully opened the door to see an underground basement. "H-hello?" she nervously called out.
"Mhmhm???!!" She heard that sound again. Slowly and carefully, Haru climbed down the stairs while taking her phone out to use the flashlight, brightening the room a bit. Her violet eyes widened in surprise when she saw a male older than her tied up and gagged.
He had long red hair, which ended just above his shoulders. He had bright yellow eyes, which appeared to have dark circles under them. He struggled to get out of his restraints when he noticed Haru. He looked at her with shocked eyes as if he didn't expect someone to be there.
Harusaki cautiously walked toward the man before she took off the cloth that was wrapped around his mouth. The man took a deep breath, coughing a bit before gently saying, "Thank you." He then sheepishly grinned, glancing at his tied wrists. "Er... can you get me out of these too?"
Harusaki looked at the male with a doubtful expression. "I don't know, are you going to kill me as soon as I untie you?" she asked suspiciously.
The male let out an offended gasp. "Goodness no! I would never harm anyone without reason, especially a woman." He then introduced himself, "My name is Naoki Ikutoshi, 24 years old, single, and a normal office worker!" He seemed oddly enthusiastic for someone who got tied up in someone's basement.
"Well... okay? I'm Sasaki Harusaki, 17 years old, not interested in older men, and a student at Aotomi High..." She then decided to untie Ikutoshi after making sure that he wouldn't do anything to her. Haru then noticed bruises on his wrists, making her frown slightly. It seemed like he had been struggling for a really long time down there.
Ikutoshi stretched his arms over his head and let out a satisfied sigh when he heard a bone popping. "Thanks, kiddo, but you really need to get out of this house." Standing up, Ikutoshi walked up the stairs, looking around. When he was sure that no one was around, he turned to look at Harusaki with a smile, his hand stretching out toward her. "This is a kidnapper's house," he said calmly.
Harusaki nodded her head and was about to take Ikutoshi's hand before she realized what he just said. Her eyes snapped toward the older male with a shocked expression. "K-k-kidnapper?!" she yelled out.
Ikutoshi tilted his head to the side. "Yeah! That's why you need to leave." He said as he helped Haru get out of the basement. Letting the male's hand go, Haru walked toward the window and saw that the ghosts were still at the gate, but there was a person between the ghosts now. Her violet eyes widened in fear as she felt the hatred radiating from the ghosts surrounding him. All of them were clawing at the person, some attempting to choke him, but their ghostly hands all just phased through him. Haru jumped in fright when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Quickly turning around, she saw Ikutoshi looking at her with a worried expression. "That's the man who kidnapped me. If you stay here, he will kill you too," Ikutoshi explained, wrapping the rope that was used to tie him around his knuckles.
Harusaki swallowed nervously. Turning back to look outside, she took a step away from the window when she saw a woman floating in front of the window, staring at her with an empty yet full of anger expression. Her face was pale, her eyes empty, and she was crying blood instead of tears, staining her white summer dress. Her long black hair was messy, some of it even wriggling like it was still alive. The way the ghost stared at her sent a shiver down Haru's spine.
"I-I c-can't... They won't let me out," she said, looking at the floor, avoiding the woman's blank yet angry stare.
Ikutoshi furrowed his eyebrows and looked outside the window, trying to see if there was anyone other than the kidnapper outside. "Why? Are you getting bullied?" he asked with concern lacing his voice. "Did they throw you in here and say they'll beat you up if you go out?"
Harusaki meekly nodded her head, not wanting to tell the truth. 'More like the ghosts locked me up here,' she thought anxiously.
Ikutoshi smiled softly at the girl. Reaching out, he gently and carefully ruffled Haru's hair without making her uncomfortable. "Don't worry! I can protect you from the bullies and the killer!" He looked around, trying to find a hiding spot for Haru. "Well, we just need a plan."
Haru blinked a few times before she looked at the basement, tugging on the male's shirt. "I-I have an idea!"
Ikutoshi's eyes widened at Harusaki's suggestion. "Are you sure about that?" he asked worryingly, not wanting the girl to be harmed if the plan failed.
"I-I'm sure! You just need to trust me!" Harusaki looked at Ikutoshi with a serious expression. The male sighed heavily before nodding his head. "All right... but remember, if something bad happens, run. Don't look back."
The guy who stood outside the house narrowed his eyes when he saw that the gate was slightly open. He was sure he had closed it properly before he left earlier. Lifting up his shirt, he took out a kitchen knife he had hidden on his back and smiled crazily. He slowly pushed the gate open and walked toward the front door, pushing it open. His bloodshot eyes wandered around the house with a wicked glint.
"I know you're still here..." he cooed.
He slowly walked closer to the basement door, dragging the tip of the knife against the wall. "I can see you~..." he said wickedly.
"I can smell you...!" He ripped open the door, knife raised high over his head, ready to strike. But then his face turned confused when he saw Harusaki instead of Ikutoshi inside the basement. Haru looked at the man with a nervous smile, raising her hand meekly to give the kidnapper an awkward wave.
"Who are you?" the man asked confusedly.
Harusaki stepped down the stairs nervously, making the man smile wickedly. "It's okay... young girls are actually more of... my type..." he chuckled insanely.
Letting his hand drop to his side, the man tried to approach Harusaki, but his body suddenly froze, his eyes wide open in fear. The man suddenly felt a shiver down his spine, like hundreds of hands grabbing his body to hold him down. The icy touch made his body shiver from both cold and fear. "W-what happened?!" he asked confusedly as he shakily and stiffly tried to move his head, but he could feel hands squeezing his head painfully as if trying to burst it open like a watermelon.
Violet eyes narrowed behind the round glasses, Harusaki watched as the ghosts trapped the man's body with their spiritual energy. Raising her hand, she dropped it back down, giving a signal to Ikutoshi.
Out of nowhere, Ikutoshi appeared and punched the man in the face, stunning him and making him fall to the floor. Ikutoshi quickly wrapped the rope around the guy tightly so he couldn't move or do anything.
Ikutoshi let out a sigh before he smiled at Harusaki. "When you said you could hold him for a second, I never thought you really could hold him for a second. What are you? A magician?" He laughed jokingly.
Harusaki pouted and looked at the man. "Who is he, really?" she asked.
Ikutoshi shrugged his shoulders. "A kidnapper, that's all I know."
Suddenly, the front door was kicked open, and a group of police officers began to fill the room, all pointing their guns at Ikutoshi and Harusaki.
"Freeze!!" they yelled.
The two quickly raised their hands in the air, but when the kidnapper tried to get up, both Haru and Ikutoshi pressed him down using their feet. "Naoki?" one of the police officers called out the red-haired man's name.
Ikutoshi smiled happily when he recognized the man and waved at him. "Inspector Renge!"
Inspector Renge was a man with slick raven black hair, sharp blue eyes that had wrinkles under them. He wore a typical inspector's suit, yet it made him look stylish. He let out a sigh and signaled the police to put their guns down.
"Again? Can you not get involved in one crime for a day?! Is this guy a criminal?" he growled at the male who grinned at him sheepishly.
Ikutoshi shrugged. "I don't know, this guy just kidnapped me out of nowhere," he explained.
Renge rubbed his forehead. "That's not enough evidence to arrest this guy. Who'd want to kidnap an adult..." He let out a tired sigh, mumbling the last part.
Harusaki felt a shiver down her spine as the female ghost from earlier floated behind her, whispering something in her ear. Harusaki let out a shaky sigh as she tried to calm herself down and focus on what the woman whispered.
"Kitchen... bodies... cold... kill... record... cushion..."
Harusaki shakily pushed her round glasses back into place. "Check the freezer he has in the kitchen; you'll find his victims' bodies in it," she said, gaining the Inspector and Ikutoshi's attention. Harusaki then pointed at the red couch near the window. "Under that couch, you'll find the tape containing the videos of all the victims he killed. He isn't just a kidnapper; he's a murderer."
Renge looked at Harusaki suspiciously before telling the others to check the places she pointed out. Soon enough, they all found the evidence that proved the man's crimes. Renge looked at a woman's body in pity. Her eyes were gouged out, and it held evidence of recent assault. It seemed like the woman was killed just yesterday. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked toward Harusaki, who was talking with Ikutoshi. He walked toward the two, standing behind Haru, making the girl look at him over her shoulder.
"You... how did you know all of this? Are you... his partner?" Renge suddenly asked.
Harusaki's eyes widened in surprise at Renge's accusation. She quickly shook her head. "N-no!!" She quickly rummaged through her bag and took out an ID holder, holding it toward Renge, who took it in confusion. Ikutoshi scooted closer to Renge, looking at the ID over the inspector's shoulder. The card held Harusaki's picture, nervously and awkwardly holding two peace signs toward the camera. "Sasaki Harusaki... Private Paranormal Detective... Hah, paranormal? C'mon, kid. If you want to play detective, at least choose something believable." Renge waved the card around as he looked at the girl with a stern expression.
"Wha- it's real! It's Paranormal Espers Agency! I helped you guys a few times!"
Renge raised his eyebrow at the name before he took out his phone, searching for the agency Haru was talking about. After a few minutes, Renge muttered in disbelief, "Are you kidding me? You're that kid who solved twenty murder cases? The so-called private detective who uses ghosts to solve cases?"
Ikutoshi's eyes sparkled at the information. "Wow, you're telling me ghosts are real?!"
"D-don't be an idiot! G-g-ghosts aren't real!" Renge sputtered out, his face paling a bit as his eyes darted around the room. "S-she might be a real genius or something—"
"There's a ghost behind you, inspector."
"E-eek!" The dark-haired male quickly grabbed Ikutoshi and pulled him in front of him, using the red-haired man as a meat shield as if the ghost would attack him. Harusaki and Ikutoshi looked at each other before slowly looking at the inspector. The girl fixed her glasses while the male grinned mischievously.
"Eeeh, Renge~ Don't tell me you're scared of ghosts?!"
"H-huh! I'm not! It's just—ghosts... I can't shoot ghosts, that's why!"
"That's the only reason?"